‘Legally speaking’ Syria is now full member of anti-chemical weapons treaty – UN envoy

DAMASCUS, (ST)_ After the UN accepted documents from Damascus concerning Syria joining the Chemical Weapons Convention, Syria has “legally” become a full member of the treaty, Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari said.

“Legally speaking Syria has become, starting today, a full member of the convention,” Ambassador Bashar Jaafari told reporters in New York according to Russian TV (RT). 

According to Jaafari, President Assad signed a legislative decree that “declared the Syrian Arab Republic approval to accede to the convention” and that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem had written to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to notify it of Syria’s decision, which is enough to legally join the convention.

Earlier on Thursday, UN spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed that they had received the documents necessary for Damascus’ accession.

“In the past few hours we have received a document from the government of Syria that is being translated, which is to be an accession document concerning the Chemical Weapons Convention,” Haq said.

Meantime, Russia welcomes Syria’s decision to join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which is aimed at prohibiting chemical weapons use, President Putin said. “I would like to hope that it will become an important step in dealing with the crisis,” Putin indicated at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

 ST